AS an established singer/songwriter, multi instrumentalist and founding member of the British rock group Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson has faced many challenges throughout his 44 year career. As he prepares to play one of his rare solo Christmas themed charity concerts at the iconic Salisbury Cathedral, with a special guest appearance from Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Greg Lake, tonight, he will take on the challenge of the venue itself.

“The Cathedral was not built to hold rock concerts, and you have to respect that. With its high ceilings and narrow pews the acoustics are unlike anything I have played in before. For me it’s all about less is more, getting the music to complement the beautiful building that Salisbury Cathedral is, so the evening turns into a celebration of both the music and the building itself,” says Ian.

Although the Scottish-born musician is the first to admit that he has “had some issues” with the concept of religion over the years, he is keen to help open the doors to those who would not normally enter a place of worship so that they can make up their own mind on the subject.

“I have done this type of concert a few times before, and the type of people that come to them are mostly your die-hard Tull fan and lovers of rock music. For them to enter a place of worship to hear a band, in many cases would be a new experience for them. If, after being in the place, they feel that they would come back when the band have packed up and gone, then I’m all for that. For me it’s all about expanding people’s minds and views,” he explains.

Jethro Tull was originally formed as a blues based band in 1967. With the band’s successful combination of the musical genres of folk, rock, classical and the blues combined with Ian’s ability to introduce the flute as a standard instrument within rock music, he has created |a body of work that has stood |the test of time.

From the subject of homelessness and individual isolation in the 1971 album Aqualung to the climate change issues covered on Stormwatch, Anderson has never shied away from comment.

“It’s a shame that the things I sang about back in the seventies, are still around today as social problems. People are still living on the streets and feeling isolated, governments are still not addressing the environmental issues,” he says.

With one of their biggest selling albums, the multi-platinum Thick as a Brick, celebrating its fortieth anniversary next year, Jethro Tull will be playing the album in its entirety for the first time since 1972, as the band hit the road on the Thick as a Brick tour in the new year, including a gig at Southampton’s Guildhall on May 6.

Created as a direct response to the music critics of the time, who complained that its predecessor Aqualung was an overblown concept album, Ian decide to give them the “mother of all concept albums” with Thick as a Brick.

Comprising of one continuous track, spread over two sides of an LP, the album has become a firm favourite with fans, while highlighting not only Ian’s way with words, but also the high quality of the musicians he surrounds himself with.

“After Aqualung got some flack as a concept album, I thought, right you want a concept album, I’ll give you one. It was my way of throwing down the gauntlet, not only to the music business but the fans as well. It took us about five days to record, but the cover (a full fold out broadsheet newspaper with assorted stories created by band members) took about two weeks,” |he laughs.

The live performances of the album on the 1972 World tour were a full-blown over the top theatrical production, involving people dressed as rabbits, tents erected onstage and other crazy antics, something Ian says will be part of the new show, albeit brought up to date.

“With today’s modern technology, we are able to increase the level of theatre within the concert, although I am sure some of the old stuff may well find its way back in from a nostalgic point of view” he says.

Dividing his time between Jethro Tull, his solo work and his numerous business interests, Ian still finds time for charity work. After surviving deep vein thrombosis, he has been involved in several campaigns highlighting the disease. But it’s the chance to combine his love of performing music with giving something back to communities, such as the Salisbury Cathedral concert, that he embraces.

“Cathedrals as buildings need support to survive, I fund these concerts myself, but they are as much for me as a performer as they are for the cause. To be able to play in such beautiful and historic surroundings is a real pleasure.”

l Tickets: from £10, available from musicglue.net/iananderson